


The Nanny

by lveyou3000



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alpha Steve Rogers, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Kid Bucky Barnes, M/M, Nanny tony stark, Omega Tony Stark, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-24 00:09:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30063678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lveyou3000/pseuds/lveyou3000
Summary: When omega Tony Stark graduates college, he doesn't know what he's supposed to do. His dad wants him to follow in his footsteps, but the thought of being a businessman in a suit makes Tony's throat close up. He's floundering. That is until fate knocks him down in the park one day, and suddenly Tony is presented with an escape plan. Nannying.Tony was warned not to grow attached. It was the unwritten rule in the metaphorical nanny handbook. But the longer he stayed, he knew the harder it would be to leave the little boy in desperate need of attention. The harder it would be to ignore the way his body thrummed with heat whenever he and the distant, Alpha older brother were in the same room. And the harder it would be to ignore this family slowly breaking apart at the seams. Could Tony help them before it was too late?...AU heavily inspired by The Nanny Diaries.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes & Tony Stark, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 21
Kudos: 78





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome to my very first Marvel fanfiction! The idea of Nanny Tony has consumed me and after re-watching The Nanny Diaries movie, I couldn't help myself from putting a Stony spin on the story with a sprinkle of A/B/O dynamics. If you have seen the movie you will notice the huge similarities, but after the first couple of chapters, this will take its own form and storyline. 
> 
> I'm putting this first chapter out there as a feeler of sorts to see if people would actually be interested in the story, and if it is well received I will flesh this out into a much longer, multi-chaptered story instead of just a couple of chapters of short fluff! So please, let me know your thoughts and feelings, I love comments and all feedback is welcome! 
> 
> Also I'm British so please excuse any mistakes concerning American geography or the education system, I did research but I have no idea if what I found was right!

Straightening his suit jacket for the thousandth time that morning, Tony Stark stared into his reflection in the bathroom mirror. By now he knew this was going to be the best he looked, in a perfectly tailored suit and brown curls slicked back to an inch of their life, and he was just stalling for time. As soon as he walked out of the bathroom door he knew his father would be waiting for him with a million questions and tips, none of which would help calm his nerves. 

He had only graduated from NYU a few days prior and, ever since, his father had been harping on about the interview at Hammer Industries. For an omega, Tony knew he was given a hell of a lot more opportunities than others in his designation, and he knew he should feel lucky, but with each passing day, he felt like he was being pushed further down a path that led off of a cliff. 

Ever since his mother had died when he was just 7, Howard had practically done a 180 in the parenting department. He wanted his omega son to succeed in life and that apparently meant being an engineering business consultant just like his old man. Tony actually really enjoyed engineering but the thought of suits, ties and business meetings all day every day? That was a different story. 

Had Tony been an Alpha or even a Beta, he bitterly knew that his father would have been able to get him straight into SHIELD, a small company of which Howard was a chairman on the board. But as an omega, he had to prove himself and already he had a lot to live up to. Which brings us back to Tony, staring at a face too pale for his usual olive tones and features too pinched. With one last tug of his cuffs, Tony smoothed down his tie and left the bathroom to meet his father in the hallway. 

“You’re going to kill ‘em Tones,” Howard clapped him on the back, holding a smart black briefcase up for Tony to see in his other hand. “This is for you.” 

Howard’s smile is tight but his tone bright, the only thing giving away his confidence in Tony is the strain in his eyes. And that definitely didn’t fill Tony with reassurance, but he reached out to take the proffered briefcase anyway. It felt expensive and sturdy, but it was also clearly empty. 

“Thanks, Dad, but what am I meant to put in it?”

Howard’s smile falters but he quickly schools his expression, “It doesn’t matter, so long as you look the part, right? Hell, a smart suit like this and carrying your briefcase, you could pass as an Alpha.” 

Tony knows his father is trying to convince himself. If his smaller than average stature wasn’t a dead giveaway then his obvious nerves would certainly do the talking. Scent blockers kept his pheromones at bay, but there wasn’t much he could do for the rest, except ‘fake it till you make it’. A popular phrase in the Stark household as of late, along with ‘Stark men are made of iron’. 

“C’mon kid, you’re gonna be late.” Howard steered him towards the front door, his briefcase clutched tightly in his hand. All he had to do now was focus on the journey, he could panic when he arrived. 

* * *

Of course, even focusing on the journey was easier said than done. Tony never ventured further up the city than Midtown Manhattan, and so when he hopped off the subway he quickly realised he must have gotten off at the wrong stop. 

He stopped a Beta in the street who was also dressed smartly in a suit, maybe he would know the way. “Excuse me, Sir, I got off at the wrong stop, could you point me in the direction of Hammer Industries?” 

The man looked over Tony with a leer, stopping when he found whatever it was he was looking for with his blatant once over. 

“You see that building with the big silver triangle?” Sure enough in the direction the Beta had pointed out, a huge tower adorned with a glowing Hammer Industries logo stood against the skyline. Tony could only nod, embarrassed. 

“It's five blocks down that way.” 

“Five blocks?” Tony practically shouted, barely holding in a curse. He was going to be late, he called a thanks over his shoulder as he started a jog in the right direction, ignoring the curious glances his way and the Beta calling out to him. “Doesn’t a pretty omega like you need an escort?!” 

When he arrived at the Hammer Industries tower, took the elevator up and waited outside the office of an older female Alpha, Tony was sure he was white as a sheet. He had only just managed to get his breathing under control from his impromptu run when he was called inside. 

Shaking hands with the Alpha in a firm grip he was proud he managed, he took a seat as she picked up his application from her desk. In bold red letters on the top right corner was ‘OMEGA’, Tony certainly hadn’t sent it in with that detail. 

“So Omega Stark, I wanted to thank you for coming in to speak with us today.” 

“The pleasure is all mine, Ma’am, it's an honour to be here.” For the first time that day, he managed his signature smirk, a mask he’d perfected over years of dealing with Alphas and Betas trying to put him in the corner. 

“I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that we receive thousands of applicants for the internship program here at Hammer Industries,” The Alpha smiled kindly, the words clearly rehearsed and probably repeated just as many times. “I want to know though, who actually is Tony Stark?” 

Tony chuckles, “That’s certainly an easy enough question.” His smile is still in place but he can already feel his mouth going dry, tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth as he tries to think of how to answer. 

“I am-,” He starts then stops, smile straining, “Tony Stark is…” 

His collar is too tight, his hands sweaty and his eyes are flying around the room fast enough to give him whiplash. He hates himself for it but he can no longer bring himself to meet the Alpha’s eye and as the seconds drag on with no further explanation from Tony, he can’t help himself from jumping to his feet. 

“Um, just- if you’ll excuse me-”, he stammers, reaching for his briefcase which of course flies open as he lifts it, displaying its totally empty contents. Without another glance, he flees from the office, barely registering the sound of tearing paper as the door swings shut behind him. 

Well wasn’t that just perfect?

* * *

Tony knew he couldn’t go home yet, he couldn’t face Howard, and so he wandered, taking advantage of being in the city. As he wandered, he found himself in Central Park, which with summer just beginning was filled with tourists and city folk alike. With his tie loose, top shirt buttons undone and his suit jacket slung over his shoulder, he found a vacant bench and sat. 

What was he going to do now? More importantly, what was he going to tell Howard? Tony didn’t think he could bear to see the disappointment in his dad’s eyes, not after he’d been coaching Tony for the past two weeks. 

If he was being truthful, Tony really did not know what he wanted to do with his life or where he was meant to be. Corporate life was not for him, even if it would just be easier to follow his father’s footsteps up the business ladder. But now that he was out of college and his head had been firmly pulled from the sand, Tony couldn’t help but feel claustrophobic at the mere thought of the future. And he knew he needed to decide who Tony Stark would be.

As he sat, he people watched. 

A strong-shouldered Alpha in a suit passed by, he was talking animatedly into his cell phone and next to him, a beautiful female omega trotted along in a tight dress and high heels. She wasn’t dressed for a walk in the park by any means and she kept her eyes firmly down as she walked, just half a step behind her partner. Would Tony be the kind of omega who was seen and not heard? 

Definitely not. But he appreciated that some omegas genuinely preferred to let their Alphas lead in all aspects of their life. Tony just knew that being the kind of omega content to being an accessory just wasn’t for him. 

A flash caught his attention from the opposite side of the pathway, and Tony turned to see another omega doing a fast walk almost run, a determination in her step which told Tony she was in a hurry. Her arms were ladened with project books, folders and a large canvas, and now Tony could spot just a hint of dried paint smudging her cheek. Her gaze was focused straight ahead, determined. She definitely had her life together, even if she was in a hurry. Tony would like to be her, he thought, at least she seemed to have a clear head on her shoulders. 

Tony exhaled, fidgeting with his cuffs as he rolled his sleeves up to his elbows. For the first time, he noticed an older man _(or woman?)_ sat diagonally from him on an opposite bench. Shrouded in grey clothing and with sticking-out, birds nest hair, Tony didn’t know what their designation was, couldn’t pinpoint anything about them really, except that they were smiling dopily at the flock of birds surrounding them. Holding some kind of seed in a gloved hand, pigeons happily landed on the older person, picking crumbs off the dirty and tattered trench coat. Maybe that was Tony’s future? 

He was about to pack himself up and head home when he noticed a little boy, no older than five-years-old, chasing after a matchbox car that was rolling away from him. Tony couldn’t help but smile, the little kid was adorable with dark brown hair flopping into blue eyes, and a huge grin taking over his chubby cheeks as he caught his toy. The child had settled on one knee to push his car over the gravel when Tony noticed the cyclist. 

Whoever the entitled asshole was, he wasn’t paying attention to where he was going, gaze fixed on a yoga class across the way on the grass. He was hurtling towards the little boy who was still focused on his car, now enacting a crash which made Tony’s stomach drop even more. 

Time felt like it stretched out, the whole scene playing out in slow motion in Tony’s head, and before he knew it, he was running for the child, scooping him up under his arms and pulling him in the nick of time from the wobbling bike. 

The cyclist crashed into a tree and Tony decided it deserved the young teen right, but he turned his focus back to the little boy sprawled across his chest from where they lay on the grass. Tony scanned the child quickly for any injuries but the boy just smiled back at him. “Hello there!” 

Tony smiled, eyes confused, “Hey,” he panted, “are you okay?”

The boy just shrugged and Tony sighed out another heavy breath before he jumped back to his feet, pulling the child with him. He looked down at the little boy standing toe to toe with him, but he was still just grinning back up at Tony with a wide smile, unfazed by the near-crash.

“Do you belong to anyone, little man?” 

The little boy threw his arms around Tony’s waist, squeezing tight, “I belong to you!” He proclaimed, happily. 

Tony chuckled, taken aback. His hands reached to hold and unhook the little fists from the small of his back and looked around again for the child’s parents. An impeccably dressed woman, who looked to be in her late 40s with shoulder-length blonde hair and straight features, rounded into his field of vision then. She was huffing but Tony couldn’t tell if it was from panic or frustration, and had an expensive cell phone clutched to her chest. 

“James Buchanan!” She shouted, coming closer to Tony with an apologetic smile. “Oh god, thank you so much. We just averted a minor disaster!” The woman panted out, a peal of shaky laughter in her voice. 

Now this person was definitely not who Tony Stark would be. She was a Beta, and a perfect specimen of what he liked to call the ‘Upper East Side Clan’. She kept walking until she met Tony and her son, “Hi, I’m Mrs Rogers.” She smiled, reaching out to shake Tony’s hand. “Let me apologise for my feral son.”

“Oh no need to apologize please, I love kids,” Tony assured, holding a hand to his chest, “I’m Tony.”

Mrs Rogers must have misheard him though because as soon as he finished her eyes were bright, looking at him more intently, “You’re a nanny? Ah!” Her smile was wide, delighted. 

Tony started to chuckle, shaking his head and was about to correct the older woman when she cut him off. 

“And an omega too, no wonder you’re so good with children!” 

“Oh no, I’m not-”, he tried again. 

“Actually, I just lost my nanny, Birdie, which is why I’m out in this God-forsaken park by myself,” Mrs Rogers laughed, almost bitterly. “She left us to go get married.”

Tony just smiled politely, unsure of what else to say after he’d been firmly ignored. This didn’t bother Mrs Rogers though, as she looked at him again, appraising. “Are you employed?” She asked. 

The question hit a little too close to home and Tony wanted to laugh, lips pressed tight together. “No, unfortunately, I-”, again he was cut off before he could finish. 

“Fabulous!” Mrs Rogers reached into her pocket and quickly pulled out a business card. “Here is my card, please, please, _please_ call me later this week! We’ll schedule lunch, anywhere you’d like to go!” 

Tony was about to protest again but Mrs Rogers was already starting to turn, leaning down to grab James’ hand. The little boy had already turned his attention back to his toy car. “Unfortunately, I have to run but I really look forward to hearing from you.” She smiled, eyes intense.

“I’m sorry, I really think you misunderstood me-!” Tony called after her, but the Beta simply turned slightly. 

“I have a very good feeling about this!” Her voice was strong and sure, “call me.” 

Tony watched the pair walk briskly away, amazed the woman was able to juggle pulling the little boy along with her when she was in such high and expensive-looking heels. He fingered the card in his hands, staring down at her details. ‘Tony the _nanny’_ certainly had a ring to it?

He was pulled from his thoughts by another woman’s voice. 

“Pardon me, I couldn’t help but overhear, I’m looking for a new nanny too!” This woman was nearly identical to Mrs Rogers, her posture, smile and mannerisms the same. Again Tony began to correct the person in front of him only to be cut off, “Can I give you my card as well?”

As another piece of paper was pushed into his hands, Tony was almost swarmed by rich women, all of them trying to be heard above the others. 

“I would just _love_ a male omega nanny!”

“I pay _well_ above average!” 

“I have a place in the Hamptons!”

Before he knew it, his hands were full of tiny business cards and the smell of expensive perfumes lingered in his sensitive nose. He thought he’d feel overwhelmed by the onslaught, but suddenly, fate had offered Tony a new opportunity to completely duck out of his life, and he was going to take it. 

For the summer at least, he would abandon business consultant Tony Stark, omega son of Howard Stark, and trade him in for a brand new persona. Nanny. 

* * *

In the end, Tony simply told his father that he thought the interview had gone well, and he was waiting to hear back on whether he got the internship or not. Of course, Howard took this to mean only good news, and Tony was instantly glad he’d lied. 

He made up an excuse about being tired from the long day and turned in for the night early. That was fine with Howard, who was going out to meet some colleagues anyway, and so once Tony was showered and changed, he sat cross-legged on his bed, surrounded by the business cards of rich, pampered women. 

There was just one problem with the plan blossoming in Tony’s head. He knew nothing about being a nanny, and everything he did know came from a movie. Being an omega, it was stereotyped that he would naturally be a maternal being, and while children did love him, there had to be more to it than that surely?

Tony fell asleep surrounded by his pile of business cards, and when he dreamed, he dreamt of a sea of men and women all wearing suits and clutching their briefcases. They began to crowd Tony, none of them speaking but their steps turning into a uniformed march as they moved closer. At the centre was Howard, fitting in easily among the crowd and calling Tony’s name as he got closer. Before he knew it, Tony had turned tail and ran as fast as he could, his father’s voice echoing behind him. 

* * *

The following few days passed in a whirlwind of meetings and interviews with Upper East Side moms for Tony. Surprisingly, none of the interviews made him feel even a fraction as nervous as his failed experience at Hammer Industries had. Even more shocking, it was quickly apparent to Tony that none of these women cared that Tony had no actual childcare experience, a thought that was both worrying and gratifying.

All the women needed to know was that he was an omega, a college graduate, terminally single, and a male. He hadn't realised being a male omega was so coveted before now, but with the designation being statistically on the rare side, this meant they did not have the same stereotypes of ‘mistresses’ and ‘husband stealers’ as female nannies seemed to unfairly carry. 

It quickly became apparent that Tony was the Chanel bag of nannies. 

Other than those characteristics, the women he spoke to were fairly uninterested in Tony and spent the majority of the meetings talking about themselves. Tony noticed a pattern in the Upper East Side women who so desperately needed nannies, they were all unemployed but despite this, urgently in need of child care. 

After he had met with a number of colourful characters, to say the least, it finally came time to meet with Mrs Rogers once again. Like the woman had said in the park, Tony too had a good feeling about being James’ nanny. It was almost like the little boy had personally selected Tony that day in Central Park. 

Mrs Rogers invited Tony to a stunning hotel restaurant, the kind where the prices were ostentatiously absent from the menu and had one too many dishes that Tony couldn’t pronounce. Despite his father being considered quite ‘well off’ in the financial department, this was a side to the lifestyle that Tony had always shied away from, and so he felt a little out of his depth.

As they got settled at the table, Mrs Rogers unfurled her napkin, laying it delicately over her lap. “I heard through the grapevine that you had been meeting with a lot of people, so I thought you might appreciate a civilised lunch as opposed to being interviewed in the apartment.” 

Tony smiled with teeth, turning his charm on easily after the week of practice he’d had. “Thank you, Mrs Rogers, this is very considerate.” 

“Not really, I just love to eat out.” She laughed, “I’ll probably come up with a million excuses for us to go out for lunch... If you end up with us I mean.” 

Tony was about to answer when the waiter came to take their order. After an embarrassing fumble over what to choose, Mrs Rogers ordered for the both of them, a common social norm for Alphas and Betas to order on behalf of an omega at the table. Usually, Tony would have been pissed, especially at an almost stranger taking charge like this, but he frankly had no idea what anything was on the menu, and Mrs Rogers had spared him further embarrassment. 

“I hope you don’t mind me ordering so soon, I don’t mean to rush you,” Mrs Rogers smiled, “I just have a 2 o’clock lecture to attend at the parent’s society.” 

“Not at all.” 

She continued, “Supermom, trying to juggle it all.” They both laughed, but Tony was pretty sure not for the same reason. 

A dark-haired woman passed by the table then, sunglasses over her eyes and arms ladened with shopping bags. Both she and Mrs Rogers seemed to recognise each other at the same time. 

“Misty!” Mrs Rogers began as the new woman called, “Oh it's you!”

Kissing each other on the cheek, Mrs Rogers continued, tone sympathetic, “Oh I have been meaning to call, is there anything at all I can do?”

“Not unless you know a hitman,” Misty muttered, pushing her sunglasses to the top of her head with a sniff. “That lawyer Jeanie Whitman recommended was no help at all.” 

Mrs Rogers gasped, shaking her head, “I am so sorry.”

“Turns out all our assets are totally in Tucker’s company's name, all I’m getting is a million flat.” Mitsy shook her head, outraged at the number which to Tony’s ears sounded too big to comprehend. 

“That is appalling!” Mrs Rogers continued, as Mitsy finally spared a curious glance in Tony’s direction. 

“If I’d known it would have gone this far, I would have just turned a blind eye.” At Mitsy’s words, Mrs Rogers seemed to withdraw into herself, for the first time since Tony met her, she didn’t have a tumble of words falling out of her red lips and her shoulders dropped slightly. Only Tony noticed the change, and there was something to be said for an omega’s perceptiveness, but before he could think about it more Misty’s gaze was lingering on him again. 

“You know, maybe I should have taken an omega for my own.” Her voice was now smooth, the anger and embarrassment having left and Tony was thankful the change seemed to snap Mrs Rogers out of her thoughts. 

“Oh Mitsy, you dreadful thing! Leave me and the nanny be, we are trying to have an important meeting.” Mrs Rogers laughed, delighted by the turn in the conversation. Tony was at a loss and was glad when the pair finally bid their goodbyes, he was firmly forgotten until Mrs Rogers turned back to him with a, “Now, where were we?”

The conversation continued like that through the rest of the meeting, every time Mrs Rogers opened it up for Tony to join in and speak about himself, the conversation was quickly turned back to Mrs Rogers herself. 

Tony learned that he would be caring for James, but Mrs Rogers also had an older son in college who would soon be returning for summer. But Tony didn’t need to concern himself with him, and the way she spoke about the other boy hinted at a strained relationship, or maybe that was just how all the Upper East Side moms were?

James needed dropping off and picking up from kindergarten every day until the end of term, and in the summer Tony would be expected to plan and supervise educational activities, trips out and play dates with James’ friends. He would also be responsible for cooking for James for most meals, bathing him and putting him to bed, as well as pretty much everything else James could need when his parents weren’t available. 

Mrs Rogers was looking for a live-in nanny, and so his food and board would be included in his contract, and when they talked pay Tony was pleasantly surprised at the figure. 

By the end of the meal, Tony had been able to relax and listen to Mrs Rogers fill the silence for pretty much the entirety of the hour, and all he had to do was hum and ‘ah’ at the appropriate intervals. He was feeling relaxed and actually pretty excited about the position in a way that he hadn’t from any of his previous interviews that week, and so when Mrs Rogers asked if he had any questions before they left, he smiled brightly. “When do I start?” 

Her answering grin was infectious as the pair shook hands. 

* * *

It was only the next week that found Tony packing his bags and ready to move to the Upper East Side. Of course, he had told Howard that he’d gotten the internship at Hammer Industries, and the older man had been ecstatic for his son with a bright, “I knew it!” 

Tony only felt a little guilty for lying to his father, he knew Howard wanted only what he thought was best for him, but his and Tony’s ideas of what was ‘best’ were entirely different. Being a nanny was the short term escape Tony needed, a way for him to turn his brain off for a few months, get out of his father’s shadow and become someone new. Howard would be seething if he knew the truth about Tony's plans. 

He packed up all his favourites from his wardrobe, jeans, t-shirts and sweaters, which would become his unofficial uniform for looking after the five-year-old. Sweatpants and hoodies for his downtime, and a couple of suits and shirts for parties and events where he would be needed to chaperone James. He decided to see what he would end up wearing the most and then do a little shopping with his first pay cheque for new pieces, a day he was already looking forward to immensely. 

With just a couple of modestly sized bags packed, he met Howard in the kitchen to say his goodbyes. 

“I still don’t know why you won’t let me drive you myself, Tones.” Howard pulled him into a tight hug, ruffling his hair as they pulled away. 

“Dad,” he whined, “the last thing I want is the other interns at the apartment thinking the omega needs his Daddy to hold his hand.” 

Howard huffed but nodded, “You’re right, I’m so proud of you Tony.” And that stung, but Tony covered his wince with a nervous smile. “Did you pack your blocker prescription?”

“Got it.” Tony smiled, but Howard continued anyway, “The last thing we want is anyone taking advantage of you to get a step up on the competition.” 

“Don’t worry about it Dad, I’m gonna be fine! It's all gonna be great, but I really have to get on the road now, Rhodey’s outside waiting.” 

Howard clapped him on the back again and helped Tony to the car idling on the street outside. He helped Tony put his bags in the trunk and the pair bid their goodbyes with Tony promising to call his Dad by the end of the week. 

It wasn’t until they were a couple of blocks away that Tony finally allowed himself to relax, throwing his arms in the air. “Freedom, Rhodey, I can taste it!” 

In the driver's seat, James Rhodes laughed fondly at his best friend’s antics. He tugged one of Tony’s arms back down, eyes focused on the road ahead. “Settle down, Tones.” His tone was exasperated but dripping with warmth, none of the usual Alpha command in his voice despite his words. 

“Is this what it feels like to be an Alpha?” Tony asked cheekily. 

“Yep, being an Alpha feels exactly like being a nanny to a rich brat.” 

“Shut up, he won’t be a brat." Shoving at his best friend's shoulder lightly, he continued, "I told you the kid was really sweet in the park.” 

“Whatever you say, Tones, I still don’t understand why you’re doing this.”

Tony sighed, turning away from the Alpha to stare out the window. “Because why the hell not.” When Rhodey didn’t push, Tony shook his head, adding, “I just want to get away Rhodey, figure out who Tony Stark is before my dad changes my name legally to Howard.” 

At this Rhodey laughs, breaking the tension, and after a moment Tony joins him. “As long as you don't get attached, alright? This isn’t you, and I still don’t know why you wouldn't just move into my apartment in the city if you wanted to get away.” 

Rhodey had recently moved into an apartment on the west side, somewhere Tony had still been yet to visit, but it sounded charming from what he’d heard. His best friend had invited Tony to come up and stay with him for however long he wanted nearly every day since he’d moved, but Tony had refused. 

“And what would I do all day? Be the dutiful omega that cleans the house while you bring home the bacon?” 

“Isn’t that what you’re doing now?” Tony refuses to look at Rhodey, he can already hear the smirk in his voice and he doesn't need to see the mocking face to match.

“It's not the same and you know it, but whatever, you’re just jealous I'm gonna be living in the laps of luxury!” Tony teased, trying to steer the conversation back. Rhodey shook his head with another laugh but thankfully dropped it, and the rest of the journey was filled with too-loud rock music and more teasing.

As they finally pulled up to one of the swankiest buildings Tony had ever seen, there was already a doorman ready and waiting to pull Tony’s bags onto a bell cart. 

“Oh thank you!” Tony smiled, turning back to Rhodey, “I could get used to this,” he winked. Before he knew it he was bidding goodbye to his best friend with a promise to keep in touch and come up to his place to visit on his first day off. 

Once the Alpha’s car had pulled away, Tony turned back to the ornate doors, taking a deep breath. This was it. 

He took the elevator up to the 12th floor, and the sliding door opened up to a small but grand entranceway. Straight ahead was the front door and Tony wasted no time wheeling the bell cart behind him and knocking, a confident smile fixed on his face. He was expecting Mrs Rogers to be the one to answer, so when a small and stern Beta dressed in a maids uniform greeted him with a frown, his smile faltered. 

“Hi,” Tony offered, ignoring the way the maid looked him up and down pointedly. 

“You are the new nanny?”

“Yes, I am!” He held out his hand to shake, “I'm Tony, it’s nice to meet you.” 

The maid let out an unimpressed huff but shook his hand, “I’m Maria, I suppose you should come in.” 

Maria stepped away from the door and Tony let his face fall from its perfect smile, feeling awkward “Oh-kay.”

He turned to grab the bell cart once again but Maria stopped him, feather duster in her hand as she gestured to the ground, “the floor is clean.” 

Tony gave her a small smile and nod, piling his bags into his arms instead and following her inside. As he walked further into the foyer, he couldn’t help but look around wide-eyed. The place was huge, and all he could see so far was what he assumed was the living area with a huge L-shaped couch and shelves filled with books and decorations Tony was sure cost a small fortune. “Wow, this place is incredible.”

Maria didn’t comment, except to walk forward, feather duster waving in his direction again. “I hope you last longer than the last one.”

“Who, Birdie?” Tony recalled, “Oh yeah, Mrs Rogers told me that she left to get married.” 

“Married?” Maria laughed, incredulous, “She went on _one_ date, and she got fired.” 

Tony stared at her confused, and Maria shrugged her shoulders in another laugh, starting to walk off before Tony stopped her. 

“Oh, Maria?” She turned to him again, “Are you going to tell Mrs Rogers that I’ve arrived?”

Maria shook her head as if Tony was stupid, and he was definitely starting to feel it. “Mrs Rogers is shopping,” she huffed as if it was obvious, “but she left you a note on the table.” Maria gestured to a console table in the hallway. “Now I have to go and vacuum, okay?”

Tony nodded jerkily, not really sure what to say as Maria shook her head again and left. Tony could hear her muttering something under her breath about omegas and nannies and hand-holding. 

With a shaky breath, Tony grabbed the note between his fingertips as he continued to juggle his bags and went in search of what would be his room. After stumbling his way across the kitchen, and heading down one hallway to the right of the apartment, he heard Maria call out to him, “Other side omega!” 

He turned at her direction and ventured to the other end of the apartment, stumbling across a single bedroom with no signs or scents of any inhabitants. This must be his, he thought and squealed as he ran to jump on the huge plush bed. His bags lay forgotten by the doorway as he stretched out, relishing in the comfort of the duvet below him. This is exactly what he was talking about when he had teased Rhodey earlier. 

He reached for the letter from Mrs Rogers again and opened it to begin reading. 

_Dear Nanny, Welcome!_

_I’m so excited to have you on board. Please make yourself completely at home. If you are hungry, the fridge is well-stocked, help yourself to anything._

_Manwell is making you your own set of keys, you should have them by tomorrow. I’m sorry that I could not be there to meet you, but I’m trying to squeeze in a little bit of shopping before my parent’s society meeting. Which reminds me, please pick James up from pre-school at 2:15 sharp. It's extremely important not to be late. Please find the address on the reverse side._

_As you can see, I have attached a list of basic house rules. We believe that it's important to maintain some sense of structure in our home, for James’ sake._

_Rule Number 1: James and his playmates are never allowed in the Master bedroom. Of course, you should refrain from entering our bedroom as well._

_Rule Number 2: James is never allowed to nap during the day. This throws his sleeping schedule completely off and I prefer him tired when I get home._

_Rule Number 3: We have just had the walls redone, please keep James from rubbing up against them._

_Rule Number 4: If school is ever cancelled, the following non-structured outings are permissible; the MET, the Morgan Library, the French Culinary Institute, the New York Stock Exchange._

_Rule Number 5: We do not take the subway, because of germs._

_Rule Number 6: James must still be in a stroller when passing Park or Madison Avenue._

_Rule Number 7: James maintains a high-soy, organic diet._

_Rule Number 8: Practice French with James at least three times a week. His father wants him to attend collegiate, where he is currently waitlisted. His acceptance is a top priority._

_Rule Number 9: Please schedule any time off well in advance and see myself when you are planning on doing so._

_Rule Number 10: I expect you to keep your personal life to yourself and outside of our home. It must not get in the way of nannying James._

_If you are unsure of anything else, please see me._

_I have a good feeling about this, Nanny!_

Tony finished the letter and felt an overwhelming pit in the bottom of his stomach, he didn't know what he was expecting but this was a lot. He looked at the time on the clock in the corner and realised he had a couple of hours before he was expected to retrieve James, he threw his arm over his eyes with a sigh. A small nap would help him feel better, and so he drifted.

* * *

“Nanny?”

Tony wasn’t sure how long he had been asleep for when he started to stir, but he knew it hadn’t been long. 

“Nanny.” The voice calling him was firmer now, and suddenly Tony’s consciousness flooded back, and he realised this wasn’t the first time he’d been called. Bolting upright, he stared at an unimpressed Mrs Rogers staring at him with wide, incredulous eyes and hands fisted tightly together beneath her chest.

“Oh!” Tony exhaled, embarrassed.

“Nanny?” Mrs Rogers sing-songed, tilting her head even further with slow blinking eyes, “what are you doing?” 

“Oh, I’m sorry, Mrs Rogers, the note said to pick up James at 2:15!” Tony offered, not proud of how his voice shook. He looked to the clock again to double-check the time, “and it’s only 1 o’clock! So, I- I was a little tired from moving and I thought that I would- y’know?” 

“What I mean is, what are you doing on that bed?” She stared pointedly at him, “and why are your bags strewn all over the guest room?” 

Tony’s face dropped, and he was aware he probably looked like a fish, his mouth opening and closing trying to think of what to say as the realisation hit him. “I thought this was my room?” He offered lamely. 

“No,” Mrs Rogers chuckled, head shaking slightly, “No, Nanny.”

Before Tony could say anything else, she turned on her heel and strode back to the open doorway. Tony scrambled after her, picking up his bags and following her back down the hallway and off to another passage he hadn’t noticed before. They came to a small utility room housing a washing machine, tumble dryer and other noisy appliances, with a door on the opposite side. 

Tony’s stomach dropped as Mrs Rogers made a beeline for the door, opening it with a smile and gesturing him inside. “ _This_ is your room.”

“Oh,” Tony tried to sound impressed, he really did. But the room was tiny and cramped, a single twin bed pushed into the corner with flimsy sheets and a small nightstand next to it. On the opposite wall, there was a small window with a desk below it and a matching wardrobe. The room wasn’t awful by any means, but in comparison to the rest of the apartment, it was decidedly neglected with dated wallpaper and furnishings. 

“This is lovely, thank you, Mrs Rogers.” Tony stepped in further, putting his bags down by the bed, but as he turned back to the Beta, she was already gone. 

Tony sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed which creaked loudly below him. “Huh.”

* * *

Once he had straightened himself up and unpacked the majority of his bags, Maria fetched him for a proper tour. Tony knew Mrs Rogers must have filled her in on his embarrassing blunder because the older woman’s eyes were alight with judging humour. He was shown the doorways to the Master bedroom and Mr Rogers’ office, both of which he knew not to enter. Close by to these was James’ room, filled with toys but nothing looked to be an inch out of place, which was strange for a room belonging to a five-year-old. James had his own en-suite which would make helping with bath time and going potty a lot easier.

From here he was shown the dining room, kitchen and living space, as well as a playroom for James. This room at least had a little more character belonging to the child, Tony thought. 

Down the other side of the apartment, he was once again shown the guest bedroom which he had mistaken for his own, and he didn’t miss the smirk on Maria’s face as they passed by. Another door was pointed out as belonging to Steve, and Tony questioned whether Steve was the Rogers’ older son, to which Maria simply nodded, uninterested. He wasn’t shown inside and so he took this as another room of the apartment to avoid. He was shown the large family bathroom next, and as every family member had their own en-suite, it was mostly used by guests, and now Tony.

Finally, he was back to the passageway leading to the utility and ‘Nanny room’ as Maria so thoughtfully put it, and told he’d better get going otherwise he would be late to pick up James. Glancing at the small clock on his nightstand, Tony realised she was right and jumped to gather his things as well as the stroller, and left the apartment in a hurry, not seeing either Mrs Rogers or Maria again. 

As he all but ran to the pre-school to beat James out before class finished, he slowed as he finally approached. He saw a woman, casually dressed and propped up against the gates, and Tony smiled at her when she caught his eye. 

“I’m sorry, do you have the time?” He asked, trying to catch his breath. 

The woman looked at her watch, and Tony realised she was an omega too. “2:15,” she said in a thick accent that he couldn't place.

“So, they’ll be getting out anytime now?”

“2:45.” 

Brow furrowed, Tony leaned forward, unsure if he’d heard correctly. “I’m sorry?” 

“They get out every day at 2:45.” The woman huffed, saying each word pointedly as if Tony was an idiot. Tony mumbled his thanks before pushing the stroller in further past the gates, unsure of why the woman had been so short with him. 

As he stood in the centre of the small courtyard, Tony realised there was a sea of omega and Beta women all milling around with strollers, chatting to each other or puffing on cigarettes as they waited. The longer he stood waiting, the more women turned up, some of them glancing at him curiously and Tony could tell he was a hot topic of gossip for a few groups in the half an hour that he waited. 

It quickly became apparent that Mrs Rogers had arranged for Tony to be impossibly early for all of his duties and engagements. It seemed that the earlier the Nanny was there, the more the mother loved their child.

Finally, a bell rang somewhere distantly in the preschool and children began to flood out of the double doors, squealing. Tony looked around helplessly for James, calling out for him over the excited shouts. 

“James? James?” When there was no sign of the little boy, he tried again, “James Rogers?” 

A petite woman to his right looked up at Tony, her eyes kind. “Who is it you're looking for?”

“Oh, um, James?” Tony asked. Another woman, older than Tony with blonde hair scraped back into a messy ponytail huffed out a laugh, she had a slight Irish accent. “I know that one, he plays with my wee monster, Peter.” The woman gestured down to a small brunette boy, quietly holding her hand and looking up at Tony with a small smile and blush. 

Tony was about to ask if they could help him find James when he heard a shout of “Pow!” and felt his shin flood with pain from where a small foot had kicked it with as much force as a five-year-old could manage. 

“Ow!” Tony shouted, bending on instinct to rub at his shin, and met eyes with James Rogers. The little boy had looked exactly as Tony remembered from the park, but instead of his childish grin and bright blue eyes, the little boy had his brows knitted tightly together and a petulant pout on his face. 

“Oh James, there you are!” Tony tried to sound excited, pushing past the pain as he clapped his hands together, still bent over to meet James’ eyes. “Hey, little man, do you remember me?” 

“Yes, and I hate you!” James shouted, sticking his tongue out in what he probably thought was the meanest expression he could pull. Tony fought the urge to sigh. 

“What?! C’mon, we get along great remember? Like when we met in Central Park?” When James just continued to stare at Tony, face unchanging, the omega reached for the little boy’s bag. “Here, let me get your backpack.” 

The little boy started tugging away almost instantly, trying to run, and Tony was struggling to keep the boy upright with how much he was throwing his weight around. 

“Help! Police! He’s hurting me!” James shouted.

Tony’s face was burning as he continued to struggle with the little boy, hoping no actual police would hear him calling. This certainly wasn’t the smiling little boy he remembered from the park who had hugged him tightly. As the other nannies around him started leaving easily, the Irish woman stopped again, smiling sympathetically. 

“They usually start out that way you know.” She offered and Tony just smiled politely, shaking a nervous laugh. 

“Yeah, I bet.”

“Stranger danger!” James shrieked. 

“Just be patient.” The blonde offered before she too left the courtyard. “It’ll get easier!”

James continued to struggle and Tony turned to pull the stroller closer instead, “Let me put you in your stroller, ‘kay?”

As he grabbed the stroller, he lost his grip on James’ backpack and the little boy took off running immediately. “I’m too big for a stroller!”

“James!” Tony took off running after him, trying to ignore the heads that turned their way as James continued to shout for the police. 

_Fan-fucking-tastic._ What a great start.

He finally caught the little boy by the handle of his backpack and fell to his knees to hold him still by his upper arms. 

“James, c’mon!”

“I _hate_ you!” James screamed at him, “I want Birdie! I want Steve!” 

“I know, I know you want Birdie, I’m sorry, Birdie had to leave to get married, but I promise we’re gonna have a lot of fun together!” Tony was aware he sounded desperate, and he definitely was not convincing James who was still struggling in his hands. “Alright? Now let me see how handsome you look in your uniform.” 

Tony smiled brightly as James momentarily settled, letting Tony straighten out his shirt and red, knitted vest. His eyes landed on a small business card that was pinned to his navy shorts and he touched it between his thumb and finger. “Oh, what's this?” Tony asked, reading the details of Mr Rogers. 

James slapped his hand away, and Tony, shocked at the action, lost his grip on the little boy once again. “Don’t touch that, it belongs to my Daddy!” And just like that, James took off once again running. 

Tony sighed, jumped up after him and resumed the chase. What kind of fucked up culture turned a father’s business card into a security blanket?

* * *

By the end of the day, Tony was exhausted. He’d finally caught James again and somehow managed to wrestle the little boy into his stroller, Tony thinks he must have already tired himself out with all the running and shouting because he was surprisingly quiet for the rest of the walk home. 

Dinner was the next battle, and Tony was glad no one else was around to see the mess that had been made. But thankfully, James had eaten most of his food without too much fuss with the promise that he could keep playing with his cars once he was finished. Bath time passed in a similar fashion with Tony ending up soaked, but finally, James was tucked up in bed, sleeping serenely like an angel. Only now, Tony knew better. 

He thought it was strange that neither parent had come to say goodnight to their child, in fact, Tony wasn’t even sure if they were home. But at least James hadn’t asked for them, so it must have been a common occurrence. 

Once Tony was finally settled in his own room, lounging in comfy sweats, he let the events of the day crash over him. It had been a lot to deal with, and the day felt like it had stretched far longer than it had any right to. It was only 9:00 PM and Tony was exhausted. 

He fired off a text to his Dad just to let him know that he’d settled in okay and then pulled up the contact for Rhodey, hesitating for only a moment before pressing the call button. 

Hearing the Alpha’s deep, soothing voice on the other end was enough to help Tony settle. He hadn’t even realised how tightly he had been wound until his shoulders sagged, and he filled his best friend in on the events of his first day. 

“As much of a terror he’s been, I know he must be a good Kid, Rhodey-bear.” Tony sighed, finishing his tale.

Rhodey laughed slightly, tone sympathetic as he mumbled his agreement. “You just have to get him on your side, Tones, show him you want to be his friend. It won’t be hard, kids love you!” 

“So everyone keeps saying, but the only kids I know are little Harry down the street and Sarah,” Tony huffed, Sarah, being Rhodey’s 10 year-old-sister. 

“Yeah and they both think you hung the moon, so just relax, it’ll take some time but I’m sure you’ll both get here.” 

Tony huffed out his acceptance, knowing it was useless to argue with Rhodey. The pair moved on to other topics, like what his room was like and the view, and Tony chose to forego mentioning his room mix-up, not interested in supplying his best friend with any more reasons to tease him. After a while, when Tony was struggling to keep his eyes open, the pair said their goodnights and Tony promised to keep the Alpha updated.

Once he finally clicked the end-call button and plugged his phone in to charge, sleep washed over Tony and pulled him into a sound slumber for the first time in years. He was exhausted.


	2. Chapter 2

As his first week as a nanny passed, Tony had just one goal. Finding a way into James’ heart. It was obvious he had to get the five-year-old on his side, and Tony figured it would make both of their lives easier if they became friends. But that was much easier said than done. James was totally uninterested in making Tony’s life easier by any means, and he was starting to get desperate. 

Trying to get James up and dressed ready for pre-school every morning the first week was the first battle of every day. James didn’t want to wear his uniform, he didn’t want to eat breakfast, and he certainly did not want to brush his teeth. It didn’t matter what Tony said, or even at times begged, it would take them so long to get ready every morning that Tony would be practically flying with the stroller trying to get them to pre-school on time. He was infinitely glad that there was only one more week of term-time left before the summer break so that they could throw the towel in on this little ‘routine’. Although the thought of what the summer days would bring was another stress entirely. 

He was happy to note however that with each passing day, James asked less and less for Birdie, his previous nanny. That Tony would consider a win. 

Friday afternoon finally came, and Tony could not wait for the weekend. Although he was still working through till Sunday, he was just glad he would have a couple of days off from the dreaded preschool run. 

At 2:15 sharp, Tony pushed the stroller into the preschool courtyard right on schedule. Since his first day, Tony knew he was in for a little wait until 2:45, but thankfully, he didn’t feel as anxious now around the other nannies. He sensed that he was no longer the latest gossip, plus, James made less and less of a spectacle about being picked up by Tony each afternoon.

He noticed the blonde nanny who had helped him his first day waving him over out of the corner of his eye. She was standing with a couple of other women, all three wearing polite smiles, but they had matching tired eyes. 

Tony joined them with an awkward wave, “Hey.”

They all gave their own polite hello’s, exchanging names and Tony guiltily thought he would forget them by the next week. However, the Irish nanny was Roisin, that name he committed to memory, he liked her already. 

“So, how's your first week going, Tony?” Roisin asked, taking a sip from her water bottle. 

“Great!” He answered too quickly and with too much cheer, it sounded fake to even his own ears and it was no surprise when the other nannies laughed loudly. 

“You don’t gotta lie to us, kid, I’ve been a nanny for 15 years.” The dark-skinned women, Alex, laughed.

Tony chuckled awkwardly, hand rubbing the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. “It’s definitely been _challenging_.” 

“Don’t worry about it, like I said Monday, they all start that way. It's what kids do y’know, test their boundaries.” Roisin shrugged.

The conversation turned after a few more encouragements and words of advice passed Tony’s way. Kate, the smallest nanny in the little huddle, perked up as if suddenly remembering something important. 

“So, I took Maddison to the doctors this morning?” She paused as Roisin and Alex hummed, “They're going to try her with an inhaler now, see if it helps.” 

The other nannies commented on it, clearly an on-going puzzle that Tony wasn’t aware of the details of, but he found himself confused about something else. 

“You take her to the doctor too?” He asked. 

Kate focused her gaze on him with raised eyebrows, “Darling, I do _everything_ ,” she laughed, “My job is a type C.” 

“Type C? What's type C?” 

They all laughed again and Tony not for the first time felt sorely out of the loop. Roisin took pity on him. “Ah, okay, newbie! Pay attention, ey?” Tony waited for her to continue with a shy, confused smile. 

“Basically, there are three types of nanny gigs, ‘kay? Type A, you provide ‘couple time’ a few nights a week for women who work all day and parent at night.” She gestured to the other nannies who nodded and hummed in agreement. 

“Type _B_ ,” She hit a fist gently into her other palm, clearly looking for the right words, “you provide ‘sanity time’, every afternoon mind, to a woman who mothers in the mornings and in the evenings.” 

Kate took over then, “And type C, the most common, you provide 24/7 ‘ _me time_ ’ to a woman who neither works nor mothers.” 

“So, which one are you?” Alex challenged, and Tony was already chuckling, hands stuffed in his pockets as he nodded. 

“I am type C, no question. Although when I started I had no idea,” he admitted. “I thought it would be a fun and easy job.”

They all stared at him with matching unimpressed stares before Kate turned to Alex, “You’d think a college grad would choose a job a little more wisely.” 

“Actually, this job kinda chose me.” He rubbed his neck again as the other nannies snickered. 

“Have you met the brother yet?” Roisin changed the subject, her voice heavy with something that Tony wasn’t sure of. 

“God, I would climb that Alpha like a tree.”

“Alex!” Kate scolded with a giggle, “isn’t he just a kid?”

“He’s in college, I think,” Tony offered. 

“So, you have met him.” Roisin’s brow was raised, small, knowing smirk turning up her lips. 

Tony shook his head, “I’m not sure I ever will, I still haven’t even met Mr Rogers.” 

Roisin nodded, understanding something that Tony did not, “Well, when you do see him, try and get him to come and drop James off for a playdate or something, I need new daydream material.” 

Before Tony could respond, the last bell of the day rang out, signalling the end of school. _Here we go again._

* * *

Once they were back at the apartment, Tony got straight to work in the kitchen. James was sitting at the island on a stool, playing with some of his toy cars and jumping them up and down off of imaginary ramps. 

“Since it’s Friday, I thought I’d cook us up something special for dinner.” Tony grinned, trying to engage James again. 

“What is it?” The little boy asked, his tone suspicious in a way that made Tony chuckle. 

“My famous Mac and Please, of course!” 

“Mac’n’Please?” 

“Uh-huh, it's so good you’ll be begging for more.” Tony winked and he thought he saw a flicker in James’ eye before the little boy seemed to remember his usual sullen behaviour. 

“I hate it!” 

“C’mon, James, you haven’t even tried it yet,” he tried again, refraining from letting out a sigh. He got to work cooking up the meal for two as James continued to play, throwing curious glances Tony’s way every now and then. 

It was finally nearly ready when Tony grabbed a too-hot pan handle and dropped the leftover pasta in a heap to the floor. He shouted in shock, jumping back and away from the mess as James began laughing meanly. 

“Ha ha!” He exaggerated, “I’m telling Mommy!” 

Tony huffed, _why was this so hard?_ Fed up, he pushed a hand through his curls when an idea struck him. “That’s it.”

Marching over to the pantry, Tony opened up the doors and went straight to the top-shelf, labeled with a little note stating ‘Nanny’. This is where he could store his personal groceries, and it was probably the only source of sugar and salt in the whole apartment. He reached up on his tip-toes for a jar of PB&J, spun around to grab a spoon from the drawer, and threw himself into the stool next to James. 

The little boy was watching him warily until Tony spun open the jar lid, stabbed the spoon into the mix and pushed it towards James. “Here.”

“No, mommy says that's full of corn-sywup!” James protests, staring at Tony with wide, incredulous eyes. 

“Well, what mommy doesn’t know won’t hurt her, okay, Mr Tattle-Tale?” Tony pushes the jar towards him once more, “Eat it.” 

James’ eyes flicker between the jar to Tony, and the omega can’t help but smile. The poor kid clearly wanted the forbidden snack, “Go on,” he urges, this time more gently. 

“Right outta the jar?” James nearly whispers, to which Tony nods encouragingly with a hum. 

Slowly, as if waiting for the joke to be revealed, James lifted the spoon and eyed the glob of peanut butter and jelly eagerly. Bringing it to his mouth, he looks at Tony meaningfully again. 

“It’s okay,” Tony nods. 

James shoves the tip of the spoon into his mouth, tongue darting out to lick, and his eyes widen comically. Tony can’t help but laugh at the enthusiastic, “mmm!”

“It’s yummy, isn’t it?” Tony grins and James goes in for another bite. 

“This is fun!”

“Yeah?” Tony asks, twirling his finger around the top of the jar to sneak his own bite.

When James nods, giggling, Tony continues, “This _is_ fun.” He ruffles James’ hair with his clean hand, “But this _fun_ treat has to be our little secret, okay?”

James nods, quieter now when he speaks, “okay.”

Tony lets out a breath, relief flooding his system. _Progress_. He was getting somewhere. 

“Hey, you know, we could do lots of fun things, we just have to be friends,” he winks, taking another swipe with his finger, “and we have to trust each other.” 

“Okay! We can be friends!” James shouts, diving in for another bite as if it was always that easy all along.

“Maybe you should have a secret name too?” Tony mumbles around his finger having scooped out some more peanut butter. He knows he’s managed to take a huge step forward and he wants to solidify the change somehow. “Do you want a secret name?” 

“Yeah, I want a secret name,” James says as if its a dumb question. 

“Hmmm, how about Peanut?” Tony asked, nodding at the jar in his hand.

James giggles, shaking his head, “Noo, that's silly!”

“No? Alright,” Tony laughs, thinking again. 

“Stevie calls me Bucky!” 

“Bucky?” At James’ face splitting grin, Tony laughs warmly, ruffling his hair again. 

“You got it, Bucky!” 

Bucky smiles up at Tony, some jelly smeared on his chin and Tony wipes it away with his thumb with another chuckle. _Definite progress._

“Now, how about some of that Mac’n’Please?”

* * *

Once they had both eaten, and Bucky had declared Mac’n’Please the ‘best dinner ever’, Tony got to work cleaning the mess from the floor and hiding all traces of their forbidden PB&J snack. 

Bucky was rolling his cars across the herringbone flooring when the front door swung open and closed. 

“Where’s my little munchkin?!” A deep voice called.

“Daddy!” 

Tony stiffened from his place at the kitchen sink. He was finally going to meet the elusive Mr Rogers, and quite frankly, he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. 

Bucky was up and running in an instant, toys lay forgotten on the floor, and Tony took a deep breath before turning to follow the sounds coming from the foyer. 

“Oh my goodness, there he is! Have you been a little monster?” 

He could hear Bucky giggling and Tony couldn’t help a small smile take over his face. He straightened his shirt, rounding the corner to see Mr Rogers scooping Bucky up into his arms. 

“You know what happens to little monsters, right?” Mr Rogers started tickling his son who shrieked and giggled in delight. The older Alpha was tall and broad, his features straight and stern, but deep laugh lines took residence around his forehead, eyes and mouth. His presence demanded attention, and submission, but not once did Mr Rogers spare a glance at Tony as he continued the tickle attack on Bucky. 

“Hey, are you my strong little Alpha?” Mr Rogers asked, settling Bucky on his hip. 

“Yep!” Bucky responded proudly. Tony couldn’t help but feel awkward, he was sure Bucky’s designation couldn’t possibly be known yet. 

“Are you gonna take over the world someday?” Mr Rogers asked again, resuming his tickles on Bucky’s side. 

The squirming toddler giggled again, “Yes!” but Mr Rogers only continued. “When?” he teased. 

“Next year,” Bucky huffed another laugh as his father looked to dig his fingers deeper into his soft stomach. 

“Not soon enough.” Mr Rogers teased, patting his son on the side now he’d stopped the tickle attack. Tony decided to take the opportunity to introduce himself, but he didn’t come any further forward than his place at the kitchen doorway. 

“Hi, you must be Mr Rogers,” he smiled but the Alpha still did not turn to look at him. “I’m the new nanny.”

Mr Rogers set Bucky back down on the floor, turning to give Tony his full back as he flipped through some letters on the console table. “Yeah?” he huffed, uninterested and Tony felt his smile drop.

“Try to keep him quiet tonight will ya? I’ve got a merger I’m working on and I want to get some decent shut-eye.” He dropped the letter in his hands back to the table, “Someone around here's gotta be accountable.” 

Mr Rogers stalked off down the hallway towards his office, still never even bothering to look at Tony. Bucky was trying to follow his father, jumping up and trying to get his attention. 

“Daddy! Daddy come look at my cars!” 

“Daddy’s got work to do buddy.” Mr Rogers placed a strong hand on Bucky’s shoulder stopping him in his tracks, before he continued to his office door. He hurried inside, shutting the door closed firmly behind him, and ignoring Bucky’s sad, “Please?” 

Tony felt a wave of sadness for the small boy wash over him, he could feel Bucky's disappointment in the air as the little boy stood still, shoulders drawn and head hung. They were both silent for a moment, Tony trying to recover from the first meeting and think of what he should say. 

How could the little boy’s father be so uninterested in him? As far as Tony was aware, this had been the first time Bucky had seen his dad all week and he barely spent more than a couple of minutes with the boy. Not to mention it was the first time Mr Rogers had even met his son’s nanny and he couldn’t even spare a look at the man who was practically raising his son and living in his home. 

“Hey, James, don’t be sad,” Tony tried to make himself sound more confident, “Daddy’s just tired.”

The little boy didn’t turn to look at Tony, he was still facing the now-closed office door, arms hanging limply at his sides. 

“Bucky?” he tried again, this time with a playful tease to his voice. Bucky turned to look at him, a sadness in his eyes that Tony didn’t know was possible for a child so small. 

“Wanna see which of your cars is the fastest?”

Bucky nodded and Tony gave him a massive smile, taking the small hand in his to lead the little boy into the living room. 

The pair spent the rest of the evening until Bucky’s bath time lining up the child’s favourite cars and giving each a hard flick to see which would go the farthest. It was the most that Bucky had let Tony join in with his playing all week, and Tony loved keeping up with the small boy’s running commentary. He delighted in every giggle Bucky let out and every excited shout he gave when a new car took the lead. 

But he also couldn’t ignore the way Bucky kept shooting little glances back towards his father’s office, or every time he perked up when he thought he heard the front door unlock. 

* * *

The weekend, and the next week for that matter, passed much too quickly for Tony’s liking. Saturday was spent accompanying Mrs Rogers and Bucky to a meeting at the parent’s society. The nanny’s and children were all crammed into a large playroom which instantly gave Tony a splitting headache. Bucky spent the entire time playing with Peter, a little boy from his preschool, and Tony was glad to be able to hang out with Roisin again. He really liked her, she was bold and unapologetic in a way that was refreshing to see from another omega.

He wasn’t entirely sure why they needed to be present at the society meeting for the first time, but Roisin had told him there were whispers that they were going to start a course on Parent/Nanny relationships soon. He could sense that all the nannies in the room were tired and on edge at being unexpectedly invited to the event, and he knew he wasn’t the only one now dreading the possibility of being more involved in the meetings. 

Sunday was his first scheduled day off since starting and he had been so looking forward to being able to have a sleep in, although that didn’t last long either. The loud noise of the washing machine and tumble dryer outside of his room woke him up much earlier than he would have liked, so he decided to get up and out of the apartment to avoid wasting any more of his free time. 

He had relished in leaving the apartment building, feeling like he was as light as a feather without pushing a stroller or trying to convince a stubborn Bucky to hold his hand. He took a quick trip to the pharmacy to refill his scent blocker prescription and then hopped on the subway to head over to the West Side. The rest of the day was spent in Rhodey’s new apartment, and he was able to relax fully eating his favourite take out and watching trashy TV with his best friend. 

He’d also met Rhodey’s new roommate, a beautiful, strawberry haired Beta named Pepper. The three of them had gotten on like a house on fire all afternoon until Mrs Rogers called Tony and told him he simply must come home to help with Bucky's bath time. 

So much for a day off. 

* * *

The final week of preschool before summer also passed by in a whirlwind and Tony was given stacks of at-home activities by different teachers and tutors. He was told he would need to work on the projects with Bucky over the summer in order to keep up his studies before he started school in the fall. 

Tony was finally starting to feel a bit more on top of his new role and schedule, he couldn’t help but feel that Bucky was still in a stage of trying to push the boundaries of Tony’s composure. Despite their truce over PB&J the week prior, Bucky had taken on a new game that he liked to play with Tony. It was called ‘sack of potatoes’, or rather, that's what Tony had started calling it in his head. He hated playing sack of potatoes. 

Bucky would choose the most random, awkward and difficult times of the day to spring the game on them, and he would promptly drop to the floor and refuse to move. Just like a sack of potatoes. And, of course, with the game being an invention entirely of Bucky’s own making, the rules of said game were a mystery to anybody else but him. 

Sometimes the game would be over as quickly as it had started, and other times, Tony was close to a breakdown. 

Which was how Tony found himself struggling to balance Bucky’s gym bag, a heavy backpack filled with summer homework, and a bulky stroller, while Bucky demonstrated just how long he could pretend to be dead in the elevator ride up to the apartment.

The five-year-old was planted face down on the elevator floor, apparently content to stay there all night and Tony’s patience was quickly wearing thin as he struggled. 

“Here we are, home sweet home!” Tony called as the doors opened to their floor, trying to sound excited, but Bucky didn’t make any sign that he’d even heard the nanny. 

“C’mon Bucky, get up off the floor, it's very dirty,” Tony tried again, reaching out to push at the elevator door as it tried to slide closed. 

“I have an idea! Why don’t we race to the front door?” As the door tried to slide closed once more, Tony leaned against it, pushing his back against one side and his arms stretched out to push back against the other door, holding it open. “Last one to the door is a rotten egg!”

Finally, Bucky picked his head up, fixing Tony with a suspicious look. “I’m not stupid, you’re just gonna let me win.” 

Tony laughed, Bucky definitely wasn’t dumb. “ _No way_ , I’ll have you know I am a mighty good runner mister.”

“Not with your pants down you’re not!” 

Before Tony could even comprehend what was happening, Bucky had jumped up to his feet, reached out with a surprisingly strong grip to tug Tony’s jeans down to mid-thigh and dashed across the entranceway to the front door. 

Tony startled, bending over to grab for his pants, heavy bags falling from his arms and spilling out into the entranceway, knocking him off-balance. He managed to tug his jeans slightly up but couldn’t get them past the swell of his ass while they were still buttoned up. 

On instinct, he jumped out to try and catch Bucky before the little boy made it too far, but as soon as he stepped away from the elevator, its doors slid shut with the stroller trapped still inside. 

“Damn- The stroller!” He twirled around again, jeans forgotten and smacked his hand on the elevator call button, trying to get the doors to open up. Behind him, he heard the front door slam shut and the unmistakable sound of the lock clicking into place. 

With another huff, Tony stalked towards the front door instead, he could feel his face was red with anger. He brought his hand up to wrap his knuckles against the door urgently, twisting the door handle at the same time. 

When it wouldn’t budge, he shouted, “Shit!” 

“You said a curse! I’m telling Mommy!” Bucky’s muffled voice shouted from the other side. 

_Perfect, so, we were back to that._

“James Buchannon, I am not kidding, open this door right now!” 

There was silence and Tony knocked urgently again, “Maria!” he tried, unsure if the maid was working.

“Catch my fingers!” 

Tony looked down and sure enough, four small fingers were wiggling as much as they could underneath the crack of the door. He would have laughed if he wasn’t on the verge of a meltdown. 

He took the opportunity and bent at the waist to grab the small hand between his thumb and index finger. He squeezed the small fingertips between his own in warning, not enough to hurt by any means, despite Bucky’s indignant ‘ow!”. Distantly, behind him, came the ping of the elevator.

“I am not letting go until you open. this. door!” 

At the sound of the elevator doors opening behind him and the scent of a new Alpha flooding the hallway, Tony stiffened. He instinctively looked towards the source, head upside down from between his knees, and every rational thought he had left evaporated from his head. 

Standing by the elevator was the hottest, most mouth-watering Alpha that Tony had ever seen. Taller than Tony by what looked like at least half a foot, the Alpha had huge broad shoulders, muscled arms and a trim waist all barely concealed under a too-tight college t-shirt. Baby blue eyes were blown dark and wide as they trailed over Tony and his lips stretched in a smirk that reminded Tony entirely too much of a shark. 

In one huge hand, Bucky’s stroller was folded up neatly and that was enough to snap Tony out of his ogling. Suddenly, he realised how he must have looked, bent over with his ass high in the air and jeans pulled down to display his black silk boxers. 

Straightening up quickly, Tony tugged his jeans up as fast as he could, not missing the way the Alpha’s eyes tracked his every movement and shift. 

“Please, don’t get dressed on my account.” And, _oh God_ , Tony wanted to be angry at the blatant leering, but the Alpha’s deep voice was smooth like honey and thick with desire, despite the easy humour in his tone. Tony wanted to wrap himself up in it. 

“Uh, sorry,” Tony began, voice shaky, and gestured to the still locked door behind him, “We’re having a little bit of a situation.” 

The Alpha continued to stare at Tony, smirk still firmly in place. Tony wasn’t sure what he was meant to do now, other than bare his throat for this Alpha, so he quickly continued talking. 

“I’m- uh, the Rogers’ new nanny.” He offered weakly and the Alpha let out a pleased hum in response. Tony had to stop himself from preening at the approval from this strange Alpha, and he was glad when Bucky finally broke the tension from behind them. 

“I’m taking off all my clothes!” Bucky shouted, voice deadpan in a way that made Tony chuckle and he noticed the Alpha’s smile turned a little warmer too. 

“That seems to be popular around here today.” 

_Kill me now_ , Tony thought. He needed the ground to swallow him up as he felt his face heat up under the Alpha's intense gaze one again. What the fuck was wrong with him?

The Alpha finally turned his attention back to the door and he strode forward to knock playfully on the wood. “Hey Bucky, you gonna keep your big brother locked out here all night?” 

The realisation hit Tony like a tonne of bricks and if it were even possible, his stomach dropped even more. This was the older brother coming home from college? The older, Alpha brother who was as equally as hot as he was infuriating and would be sleeping just down the hallway from Tony? 

_Fuck_. 

“Stevie?!” Bucky’s excited yet muffled voice shouted, and the door was quickly unlocked and thrown open. The now pantless five-year-old dived into the Alpha’s, _Steve’s_ , arms and was picked up into a tight hug. They laughed and hugged for a moment, but when Steve set Bucky back down on the floor, he gave him a disapproving frown. “Bucky, c’mon, you know it's not nice to be mean to omegas, why did you lock my new friend out?” 

At this Bucky pouted, but he did at least look guilty as he spared a glance at Tony. “He’s your friend?” 

“Yeah, he’s my friend! Isn’t he your friend too?” Steve asked, shaking his head at Bucky, feigning shock. At this, Bucky looked at Tony again and so he gave the little boy a bright smile. 

“Kinda,” Bucky said with a huff, but quickly grabbed one of Steve’s hands instead and led him inside the apartment, talking his ear off about preschool, his new toy car and his friend Peter. 

As they stepped inside and out of sight, Tony let out a shuddering breath he didn’t realise he had been holding. Rubbing his eyes with his palms, he took a moment to make sure all of his clothes were in place and straightened out. He then quickly gathered up the forgotten school bags and stowed the stroller back away in the closet off to the left, before following the brothers into the apartment and closing the door behind him. 

Noticing the two were sitting together on the sofa, excited chatter filling the space as they got caught up, he decided to hide out in the kitchen. He took his time getting the ingredients out ready for dinner and was trying to keep distracted when the very scent he was doing everything he could to ignore surrounded him once more. 

He turned to find Steve leaning up against the doorway, arms folded and watching him. 

“Hey, I didn’t catch your name, nanny.” 

“Tony.” He offered simply, turning back to wash his hands in the sink. He’d already done it once but the Alpha didn’t need to know that. 

“Tony the nanny.” Steve hummed. Unsure of what to say next, Tony just kept his head down, moving on to continue his dinner preparations. The silence stretched on and Tony might have thought that Steve had left if he couldn’t feel his stare boring into him and smell his delicious scent tickling his nose. In this moment, he was so beyond glad that he was taking scent blockers, they wouldn’t hide his omega status, but they would certainly dampen the scent of _lust_ and _want_ he was sure he was emitting. 

Finally, Bucky shouted for Steve again from the living room and the tension was lifted.

Steve turned to leave, but not before directing a chuckle at Tony. “As much as I liked the view, nanny, you might want to refrain from presenting yourself in the hallway in future.”

Tony’s face burned as he watched Steve leave, his mouth had dropped open once again and he wished, not for the first time, that he had thought of something snarky and witty to say in response like he usually would have. He also had to resist the urge to throw something at the stupid Alpha’s ridiculously strong looking back as he left. 

_Fuck that guy._

* * *

The next day was the last day of the school term for Bucky, and after dropping the little boy off, Tony had gone to Target to pick up some groceries and supplies. The Rogers’ had a standing delivery for their usual food shop, but Mrs Rogers had cornered Tony with a short list of additions that they needed just right away. Apparently, Mr Rogers had mentioned liking some new trail mix and his wife was in a flurry trying to make sure their home was now well stocked with it. 

Other than that, Tony also wanted to pick up a few crafts and activities to do with Bucky over the summer. He’d spent the previous evening googling some fun and educational DIY games for them to play, but he needed some supplies first.

Once he had gotten back to the apartment, unpacked the food in the kitchen, he sat at the dining room table to begin crafting. He put a sheet down first to ensure he wouldn’t leave any mess, and he eyed the packs of coloured markers, card stock and foam stickers. He wasn’t the most artistic guy but he did like to keep his hands busy, and so he got to work cutting out little cards and adorning them with French words, phrases and images for an educational card game.

An hour or so later with the card game finished and secured with a rubber band, he started cutting out some colourful shapes next, trying to remember what the Pinterest he had seen the previous night advised. He was so lost in getting the edges cut perfectly straight that the steadily rising voices coming from the living room startled him. 

“When exactly did you get home, Steve? Didn’t you think to tell your father and me that you were here or are you a complete stranger now?”

Tony tried to ignore what was happening, but Mrs Rogers’ voice already had an edge to it. He couldn’t help but try to imagine what the scene must have looked like, was Steve as desperate to please his parents as Bucky was? It was hard to imagine an Alpha as domineering as Steve cowering for anyone. 

“Wednesday and _I might have_ if either of you were ever actually home to tell.” Steve sounded bored, maybe he wasn’t even looking at his mom? Tony imagined him slumped on the sofa, feet on the coffee table and arm slung behind the cushions like so many of the frat guys he remembered from college. 

Or maybe his legs were splayed open a little, strong thighs parted just enough for Tony to slip between and - _okay, stop, Tony._ _Bad boy._ That's definitely not appropriate. 

He stared harder at the hexagon in his hands, accidentally trimming just a bit too much off the edge. 

“Stop that, Steve, not this again. Your father works very hard to provide for this family.” Mrs Rogers sounded tired, although Tony couldn’t imagine how she could be. 

“Sure, sure, you keep telling yourself that.” 

“Steve, I am not finished talking to you!” 

Steve must have stopped whatever it was he was doing because there was a pause then before Mrs Rogers continued. “I hope you haven’t forgotten about the party next weekend?” 

“C’mon mom, you can’t seriously expect me to go.” 

“I can and will, Steven Grant. You need to start taking an actual interest in your father’s work if you ever expect to follow in his footsteps-,” Mrs Rogers carried on talking in a drone but Tony couldn’t listen anymore. This was definitely a private conversation and, quite frankly, it made his stomach twist uncomfortably. It all sounded too familiar for his liking. 

Instead, he carried on cutting and finishing another game for him and Bucky to play together. While he worked, he hummed quietly, just loud enough to fill his own ears and keep him distracted from whatever else might have been going on in the apartment. 

That was until the door opened quickly and Tony startled in his seat. Mrs Rogers stood there looking pristine as always but the slight flush to her cheeks was still evident. 

“Nanny, there you are. What are you doing?” 

“Oh, sorry Mrs Rogers, I was just getting some games together to play with James next week,” Tony smiled, gesturing to the cards in front of him. “Did you need me for anything?” 

“Yes, actually, I just wanted to remind you about practicing French with my son, it is very important to Mr Rogers and me.” 

Tony nodded, picking up the cards to show the Beta, “Of course, Ma’am, already taken care of. I think James will really engage with-” 

Before he could finish, Mrs Rogers cut him off as she was so prone to doing. “And another thing, nanny, I know you requested next Saturday night off but I’m going to need you to work.”

“Oh, um, Mrs Rogers, I’m sorry but I’ve made plans for Saturday night.”

“Nanny.” Mrs Rogers said and Tony knew immediately that he would be working next Saturday, “The company is throwing a party for friends and family to celebrate the merger, all of the nannies are going to be there.”

Tony nodded, “Oh, I guess I can move them?”

“Perfect! Thank you, nanny.”

Well, there goes dinner with Rhodey and Pepper. 

* * *

Wednesday morning found Tony and Bucky playing with the homemade cards Tony had put together. Bucky thought they were ‘very nice’ and that he’d done a ‘good job’, words which Tony was sure the little boy had heard from some Alpha somewhere, maybe his dad or older brother. But coming from the little boy’s mouth, they weren’t condescending as they might otherwise sound. So, Tony had given Bucky a huge smile and said, “Thanks, buddy!” 

First, they went through the cards together like flashcards, familiarising Bucky with the different words. Then Tony turned them all face down and they tried to remember where each card was when Tony gave a sentence to describe what the word could be that they were searching for. 

It worked a lot better than Tony could have hoped and they were having fun. Bucky kept throwing on a bad French accent and in the end Tony found himself joining in, laughing at Bucky’s cheesy five-year-old jokes. 

Tony thought they could have kept playing happily for the rest of the morning until Steve, who Tony had barely seen since their first encounter, walked past the living room. As soon as Bucky caught a glimpse of his brother he was up and jumping on the spot. 

“Steve! Stevie! Come play with us!” 

Steve turned to look at them and Tony thought he looked tired, his face was almost pinched. There was a flicker in his eyes that reminded Tony of when he had first seen Steve hugging Bucky last week, but it was gone fast. 

“Maybe next time, Buck.” Steve turned again, heading for the apartment door, but Bucky wasn’t giving up that easy. He ran after his brother, scooping up some of the cards to show him.

“Look at what nanny Tony made us! We can play, it's fun!” Bucky tugged on the Alpha’s arm, waving the cards in the air. But Steve shrugged him off, patience already having run out, and it was all too familiar of Mr Rogers.

“Bucky.” He huffed, “I’m on my way out, I don’t have time to play with you and your _nanny_.” The word was sneered and Tony dropped his gaze automatically. 

“But Steve-” Bucky whined, but the sound of the door almost slamming closed made Tony pick his head back up. 

Bucky was staring down at the cards in his hands and Tony thought for a moment he might cry, but when he picked his head up to look at Tony he was smiling shyly. 

“Nanny Tony? Did you know in France they eat snails?” 

Tony laughed, Bucky was definitely tough. 

“Actually, your mommy wants you to have snails for lunch to help with your learning.” Tony teased, but Bucky took the bait, his little face scrunching up adorably.

“Ew, gross! No way!” 

That evening, once Tony had given Bucky his bath and got him dressed for bed, the little boy looked up at him shyly. His piercing blue eyes were sad and filled with longing while Tony had been softly singing Frère Jacques to him. 

“Nanny?”

“Yeah, Bucky?” 

“You’ll never leave me like Birdie, will you?”

Tony’s breath caught in his throat, sad eyes were searching his own. “Oh, _Bucky_.”

“Promise?”

There were probably a million things Tony should have said, ways he could have deflected or changed the subject. Tony knows there were more appropriate responses, but staring into those sad, open blue eyes, there was no stopping the words that passed his lips. 

“I’m not going anywhere,” he smiled softly, “you know that, right, buddy?” 

Bucky smiled back but now his eyelids dropped, and slowly Tony watched them flutter closed. He pulled the blankets further up Bucky’s shoulders and with a gentle kiss pressed to his forehead, Tony slipped out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started this story just wanting to write hot nanny Tony being flirted with by older brother Steve, but it's turned so sad! I really want to bundle Bucky up, and I know a lot of you might be thinking the Rogers family are assholes but I promise, we'll get to the happy ending! Let me know your thoughts and what you want to see happen, as always I love and welcome feedback!
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has liked, commented and subscribed to this little story. I really hope you're still enjoying it as much as I am writing it!


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